Page 49 of Tiger's Curse
“Yes!” I responded. “Americans celebrate the harvest at Thanksgiving and display a cornucopia. Are there any stories in India regarding famous fruits?”
“I’m not sure, Miss Kelsey. The pomegranate is important to many Indian cultures, as well as to the Persians and Romans. I’ll have to look more into that, but offhand, there’s nothing else I can think of.”
Mr. Kadam smiled and put his nose back into his translations.
Picking up a few books on Indian culture and history, I made my way over to a cozy chair and sat down with a lap-pillow to read. Ren hopped off the stool and curled up at my feet, actually, on top of my feet, keeping them toasty while Mr. Kadam continued to research at his desk.
I felt like I was back in my parents’ library again. It felt natural to sit relaxing with these two, even though they were affected by unnatural elements. I reached down to scratch Ren behind his ear. He purred contentedly but didn’t open his eyes. Then I shot a smile over at Mr. Kadam, even though he didn’t see it. I felt happy and complete, as if I belonged. Setting aside my musings, I found a chapter about Hanuman and began to read.
“He is a Hindu god, who is the personification of devotion and great physical strength. He served his lord Rama by going to Lanka to find Rama’s wife Sita.”
Phew . . . too many names.
“He found that she had been captured by the Lanka king named Ravana. There was a great battle between Rama and Ravana, and, during that time, Rama’s brother fell ill. Hanuman went to the Himalayan Mountains to seek an herb to help heal Rama’s brother, but he couldn’t identify the herb, so, instead, he brought back the entire mountain.”
I wonder how he moved the mountain exactly. I hope we don’t have to do that.
“Hanuman was made immortal and invincible. He is half-human and half-ape and is faster, quicker, and mightier than all other apes. The son of a wind god, Hanuman is still worshiped today by many Hindus who sing his hymns and celebrate his birth every year.”
“Strong ape-man, mountain moving, and singing. Got it,” I mumbled sleepily.
It was still the middle of the night, and I was feeling warm and tired despite my long rest earlier. I set my book down and, with Ren still curled at my toes, dozed for a while.
I left Mr. Kadam alone most of the next day, encouraging him to get some sleep. He’d stayed up all night, so I tried to move through the house quietly.
Later that afternoon, he visited me on the terrace. He smiled as we sat down.
“Miss Kelsey, how are you faring? These burdens you’re facing must weigh very heavily on you, especially now that we know we have more journeys to take.”
“I’m okay, really. What’s a little bug juice between friends?”
He smiled, but then his expression became serious again. “If you ever feel pushed too far . . . I just . . . don’t want to endanger you. You have become very important to me.”
“It’s alright, Mr. Kadam. Don’t worry. This is what I was born to do, right? Besides, Ren needs my help. If I don’t help him, he’ll be stuck as a tiger forever.”
Mr. Kadam smiled and patted my hand. “You’re a very brave and courageous young lady. A finer lady I haven’t met in a long, long time. I hope Ren sees how lucky he is.”
I blushed and looked out at the pool.
He continued, “From what I have gathered so far, we need to go to Hampi next. That distance is entirely too far for the two of you to go alone. I will accompany you on the journey. We’ll leave at first light tomorrow. I want you to rest as much as you can today. You still have a few hours of daylight left. You should relax. Perhaps take a swim. Do something for yourself.”
After Mr. Kadam left, I thought about what he’d said.A swim would be relaxing.
Changing into a swimsuit, I slathered sunscreen over me as best I could and dove into the cool water.
I swam several laps and then flipped over on my back and looked up at the palm trees. They towered over the pool, and I lazily floated in and out of their shade. The sun had dipped down to tree level, but the air was still warm and pleasant. I heard a noise from the side of the pool and saw Ren lying at the edge watching me swim.
I ducked under the surface, swam up close to where he was, and then popped out of the water.
“Hey, Ren.” I splashed him and laughed.
The white tiger just harrumphed at me, blowing out some air.
“Come on. Don’t want to play, huh? Okay, suit yourself.”
I swam several more laps and finally decided I’d better go in because my fingers had turned into wrinkled prunes. Wrapping a towel around my body and hair, I made my way up the steps to shower. I emerged from the bathroom to see Ren lying on the rug. There was a silvery blue rose on my pillow.
“Is this for me?”
